Chemical and Mineralogical Signatures of Archaeological Features at the Mailhot‐Curran Iroquoian Site,Eastern Canada

The St. Lawrence Iroquoians built villages in southwestern Quebec (Canada) along the St. Lawrence River. They left behind longhouses, hearths, middens, and storage pits like those discovered at the Mailhot‐Curran archaeological site in Saint‐Anicet. Here, we contrast the properties of Iroquoian features with undisturbed soil to define the chemical and mineralogical signature of hearths, middens, and pits. The native soil has a neutral pH and consists of an Ah horizon overlaying a Bm horizon dominated by quartz and feldspars. In the hearths, ashes are characterized by neoformed calcite and apatite with carbonates, higher total P, and enrichment in amorphous inorganic Al, Fe, and Si. The rubified layer of hearths contain poorly crystallized Fe oxides. The mineralogy of the rubified layer is dominated by authigenetic ankerite, an Fe‐carbonate mineral identified here for the first time in Iroquoian hearths. Middens have the highest organic matter content and contain more organically complexed Al and Fe than the soil. The storage pits have low pH values and carbonate content and contain high levels of amorphous Si and total P. Our work establishes the pedologic signature of three Iroquoian features despite significant alteration of their properties by post‐occupational biogeochemical processes.     

Using in‐field phosphate testing to rapidly identify middens at Piedras Negras,Guatemala

Recent studies have promoted using soil phosphate analysis to detect ancient Maya sites by delimiting areas of occupation based on decomposed organic matter. Refuse associated with human activity increases organic matter around areas of ancient human habitation. Theoretically, the highest concentration of organic matter—detectable by phosphate analysis—should be directly associated with areas of refuse disposal. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the potential of phosphate analysis to detect residential middens in Piedras Negras, Guatemala. This paper presents the results of a sensitive, in‐field phosphate analysis method applied as a midden prospection tool in residential areas. Phosphate concentration is correlated with artifact data obtained from a total of 37 test pits excavated in areas of varying phosphate concentration in three residential sites. A positive correlation between phosphate concentration and ceramic density indicates the potential of this method in defining and orienting excavations of residential areas. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Sea‐rafted pumice on the Australian east coast: Numerical classification and stratigraphy

Sixteen elements (Ca, K, Mg, Na, Al, Fe, Mn, P, Co, Cu, Li, Ni, Rb, Sr, Ti, Zn, determined by atomic absorption) were identified in 453 pumice fragments recovered from Holocene strandplains in southeast Queensland and New South Wales. Eight pumice groups and 13 subgroups are recognised by numerical analysis. Some pumices record known eruptions. Others come from known centres in Tonga and Vanuatu. Several pumice eruptions have occurred from some centres, but there are instances of single episodes. The numerical analyses, combined with carbon dating and soil identification, identify marker horizons in the development of the strandplains. These horizons provide a time‐scale for soil development. Pumice that occurs in middens has an archaeological value. Coke was found with recent pumice. It conveniently identifies the modern industrial age.     

A dating intercomparison study on Late Stone Age coastal midden deposits,South Africa

The southern and western coastlines of South Africa have an extensive archaeological record with many sites associated with widespread eolian deposits. While much of this rich archaeological record is based on cave sites, evidence of Late Stone Age occupation is additionally preserved in the form of open‐site shell middens. We present here a comparative study of the application of amino acid racemization (AAR), optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), and radiocarbon analyses to three Late Stone Age (LSA) midden sites found within dunes on the southern coastline of South Africa. Preliminary geochronological analyses suggest that middens offer opportunity to fill in gaps in what is still a fragmentary archaeological record. Results show OSL and radiocarbon ages in good agreement, illustrating the potential to date not only the middens but also the surrounding dunes that constituted the dwelling sites. AAR results show increasing ratios with age and also that the application of paired shell and “whole rock” AAR can provide insights into the degree of biogenic sediment recycling at buried midden sites. However, the work also highlights that caution is required when OSL sampling sediment associated with middens which may have undergone human disturbance and that further work is required to improve the regional marine reservoir correction for radiocarbon dating in this part of South Africa. The study also illustrates that AAR will only provide useful data provided that middens have been sufficiently deeply buried to overcome fluctuations in environmental variables that affect the racemization rate and that inter‐genus comparisons should be avoided. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Mineral magnetism and archaeology at Galson on the Isle of Lewis,Scotland

Coastal erosion is cutting a section through a complex later prehistoric archaeological site at Galson. 168 samples from individual features e.g. middens and hearts, and also from several continuously-sampled vertical profiles were collected from the site. A range of mineral magnetic measurements, including susceptibilities, and laboratory induced remanent magnetisations have been carried out on the samples. The strong magnetic signal of the hearth material can be traced in selected floors and middens giving an indication of the anthropogenic use within the dwellings. The magnetic data also highlight differences between visually similar soils. The variation of susceptibility with temperature, measured at 2cm intervals in a vertical profile through a hearth in one of the dwellings, has revealed two distinct magnetic mineralogies, with varying domain states, possibly reflecting different fuel sources.     

Mapping the archaeological soil archive of sand and gravel mineral reserves in Britain

Primary sand and gravel deposits in Britain play an important role in preserving our cultural heritage and are also a valuable aggregate resource. While an understanding of the extrinsic properties of the soil archive (such as pH, redox, groundwater) can provide a firstorder assessment of the potential risk to any archaeologically sensitive deposits, we have very poor definition of spatial variations in the extrinsic properties of soil that influence archaeological preservation at a regional and national scale. Developments in digital geological mapping, remote sensing, and geochemical survey data undertaken by the British Geological Survey (BGS) have, however, significantly extended capabilities in this respect and can potentially be used to provide a primary assessment of the sensitivity of the present soil archive and the potential risk from changes to the soil process on cultural material in areas earmarked for aggregate extraction. Two of the major factors affecting archaeological preservation—soil acidification and groundwater—can be mapped or predicted at scales of better than 1:50,000 across increasingly large parts of the country using a combination of regional hydrogeological, geophysical, and geochemical data. Additional data from site investigations may further refine preservation potential as a function of changes in redox potential and acidity. These data, maps and models can be used to (1) better establish a baseline for archaeological preservation at a regional and national scale and (2) improve our understanding of how the physical and chemical properties of the near surface environment can be managed to sustainably preserve archaeological materials in areas impacted by sand and gravel extraction. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Shell Middens,Cultural Chronologies,and Coastal Settlement on the Rhode River Sub‐Estuary of Chesapeake Bay,Maryland, USA

North America's Atlantic Coast has been a focus of human settlement and subsistence for millennia, but sea‐level rise, sedimentation, and other processes pose significant challenges for archaeological research. Radiocarbon dating of 31 shell middens near the Rhode River Estuary, Maryland provides an opportunity to evaluate human land use, settlement, and cultural chronologies on the Chesapeake Bay. Sixty calibrated radiocarbon dates on eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shell and charcoal demonstrate that Native Americans, colonial, and historic peoples harvested oysters and other shellfish from at least 3200 years ago through the 19th century. The number of dated sites increases during the Late Woodland period after about 1000 cal yr B.P., a factor probably related to greater site visibility and preservation, as well as increased human exploitation of the watershed. Accumulation rates for five of the shell middens provide preliminary indications that some of the sites accumulated rapidly suggesting, along with other evidence, that many of the region's shell middens were logistical or perhaps seasonal camps. Our study demonstrates the importance of regional watershed surveys and radiocarbon dating programs to help build and refine cultural chronologies in coastal regions threatened by sea‐level rise and other processes.     

Impact of microtopography on the geochemistry of soils within archaeological sites in SE Poland

The geochemical record of human impact within three archaeological sites in SE Poland was analysed. The total levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn and P were defined. The content of the studied elements was found to be higher than the determined geochemical background. In all cases, significantly higher concentrations (2–3 times) of trace metals were found in sediments filling small depressions and foot-slope locations. These concentrations were often higher than in the profiles within the archaeological objects. The vertical distributions of elements were also different from soil profiles located on flat surfaces. The study thus confirms that microtopography and soil erosion may impact (diversify) the initial horizontal and vertical variation of geochemistry of soils within archaeological sites caused by human activity. This should be taken into account when using geochemical prospecting in archaeological studies in areas with varied topography.     

Sedimentary processes,stratigraphic sequences and middens: the link between archaeology and geoheritage—a case study from the Quaternary of the Broome region,Western Australia

The cliffed and active dune coastal region of Broome provides an excellent record of Pleistocene and Holocene stratigraphy of desert environments interfacing with the Indian Ocean. The Mesozoic Broome Sandstone is the basal stratigraphic unit in the area and is overlain by Pleistocene red desert quartz sand (Mowanjum Sand). Modern coastal processes of waves, wind and tide have resulted in distinctive sedimentary bodies (stratigraphic units) clearly linked to the sedimentary environment. The Mowanjum Sand, reworked by coastal winds, generates the landward-ingressing orange quartzose Churchill Sand, or reworked by waves and abraded to white sand with the addition of carbonate grains that form the beaches (Cable Beach Sand) and with eolian action, coastal dunes or inland-ingressing white dunes (Shoonta Hill Sand). These sedimentary bodies and stratigraphic units form a template with which to locate and interpret archaeological middens and Indigenous occupation over the past 5000?years in a context of coastal occupation, coastal stability, mean sea-level changes, climate changes, and availability of marine food and freshwater. Shell middens and stone artefacts form definitive layers or horizons in relation to the stratigraphy, in places in situ, and elsewhere reworked as sheets and plumes; understanding their inter-relationships has enabled the unravelling of the archaeological history and relating Indigenous occupation to biofacies and lithofacies. The array of sedimentary, biofacies and stratigraphic units are of national geoheritage significance in their own right. The addition of archaeological deposits as stratigraphic units provides a link between geoheritage and archaeology, where the archaeological materials are viewed as part of the complex stratigraphic story, part of the coastal history, and part of the geoheritage story.     

Taphonomy and site formation on California's Channel Islands

Inhabited by humans for over 12,000 calendar years, California's Channel Islands contain thousands of archaeological sites, ranging from dense shell middens and villages to small lithic scatters and camps. Similar to many islands around the world, the Channel Islands have a dearth of burrowing animals and limited historical development leading to generally good preservation of archaeological constituents and relatively high stratigraphic integrity. Despite these favorable preservation conditions, numerous natural and cultural processes have impacted the island's archaeological record. Channel Islands archaeologists, however, have given relatively limited attention to the effects of taphonomic and formation processes. The authors provide an overview of taphonomic and formation processes affecting Channel Islands archaeology, illustrating the importance of regional taphonomic syntheses in the management, preservation, and interpretation of archaeological sites. These data also demonstrate the significance of detailing formation processes in islands and other areas where burrowing rodents and other disturbances are thought to be absent or limited. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Spatial Distribution of Elemental Enrichments around Archaeological Sites: Insights from the Ancient City of Sagalassos in Southwest Turkey

Ancient human activities have resulted in important elemental enrichments in soils at archaeological sites. Nevertheless, the spatial extent of such elemental enrichment signals is rarely studied. Our research addresses this theme by studying the characteristics and extent of the geochemical enrichment halo around the monumental Colonnaded Street of the Hellenistic to Byzantine city of Sagalassos in southwest Turkey. Given the complex geology of the area, a strategy applying multivariate statistical data analysis techniques is proposed to identify whether the enrichments have a geological or an anthropogenic source. In addition, we evaluate how a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic processes may influence the distribution of elements around the site. In this paper, it is shown that enrichments of P and Pb are present up to a distance of 450 m and 150 m away from the city, respectively. Hence, we conclude that the extent of chemical enrichment haloes around archaeological sites may be element specific.     

Analysis of stratigraphical sequences at Cocina Cave (Spain) using rare earth elements geochemistry

This study investigates the stratigraphical sequence of Cocina Cave (Spain) employing and testing for the first time the capability of rare earth elements as markers of human activities in caves. Located in Dos Aguas (Valencian Community, Spain), Cocina Cave is characterized by the presence of several Holocene archaeological deposits from the final Mesolithic to the present day and is a pivotal site for understanding the socio-ecological dynamics of the last hunter-gatherer inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula and the transition to pastoral and agricultural economies in the Western Mediterranean. However, the identification of strata from particular time-periods in the cave is often difficult due to the homogeneity of layers, the poor archaeological record in some strata and the presence of severe disturbance phenomena. The methodological approach of this study consisted of cross-referencing rare earth elements and other chemical markers with the archaeological stratigraphical interpretation, in an attempt to not only support the identification of the anthropic contribution to the formation of Cocina Cave strata, but also to characterize and confirm different natural and occupational episodes, particularly those associated with hunter-gatherer, early agriculturalist, and shepherd activities. Sediments were collected from different excavation areas and analysed for major elements, trace elements, rare earth elements (REE), soil organic matter (SOM) amounts and pH. Multivariate statistics were employed to group samples according to their elemental profile, and these were then compared to the archaeological temporal interpretation. The obtained results showed that REE amount and fractionation geochemical processes were regulated by carbonates, phosphates and pH. The use of REE as markers was particularly useful as their concentrations and their calculated ratios and anomaly distributions were demonstrated to be highly consistent with the archaeological stratigraphical interpretation.     

Possibilities of reflectance spectroscopy for the assessment of contaminant elements in suburban soils

Due to rapid economic development, high levels of potentially harmful elements are continuously being released into the suburban soils of the Nanjing area, China. Conventional methods for investigating soil potentially harmful element contamination based on raster sampling and chemical analysis are time consuming and relatively expensive. Reflectance spectroscopy within the visible-near-infrared region has been widely used to predict soil constituents due to its rapidity, convenience and accuracy. The objective of this study was to examine the possibility of using soil reflectance spectra as a rapid method to simultaneously assess contaminant metals (Ni, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) and As in the suburban soils of the Nanjing area. One hundred and twenty soil samples were collected for chemical analyses and spectral measurements. Prediction of contaminant elements was achieved by a partial least-square regression (PLSR) approach. According to their relationships with Fe, the seven contaminant elements could be categorized into two groups. The results showed that the prediction accuracy for Group II (Ni, Cr, Cu and Hg) was higher than that for Group I (Pb, Zn and As). This finding was consistent with the fact that the correlation coefficients between Group II and Fe were higher than that between Group I and Fe. It was concluded that element-sorption by spectrally active Fe oxides was the major mechanism by which to predict spectrally featureless contaminant elements. This conclusion was strengthened by the fact that the PLSR regression coefficients, which revealed the most important wavelengths for prediction, were attributed to absorption features of Fe oxides. Future study with real remote sensing data and field measurements are strongly recommended.     

中国农业地质研究及其成效

论述了中国土壤质量和农作物优质高产与土壤环境中化学元素N、P、K、S、Fe、MR、Cu、ZB、B、Mo、V、Sr、Ti、Mg、La、Ce、Pr、Nd、Sm、Eu、Y、Gd、Tb、Dy、Ho、Er、Tm、Yb、Lu、Ga、Co、Ni、F、Tl、Si、Na、Cr、Pb、Cd、Hg、Se、Ba、Te、Ta及有机质、酸碱度、含水量、含盐量有密切的关系。提出了农业地质研究的目的、内容、方法及管理。     

Geochronology and Geomorphology of the Pioneer Archaeological Site,Upper Snake River Plain,Idaho, USA

Pioneer is an open‐air, stratified, multicomponent archaeological site located in the upper Snake River Plain of southeastern Idaho, USA. Block excavations provided an opportunity to contribute to the Late Quaternary geomorphic history of the Big Lost River drainage and provide geochronological context of archaeological components at the site. The stratigraphic sequence is interpreted as reflecting multiple depositional episodes and five soil‐formation periods beginning pre‐7200 cal. yr B.P. and lasting to the historic period. The stratigraphic sequence contains an archaeological component dated to ∼3800 cal. yr B.P. and several other components post‐800 cal. yr B.P. Major site formation processes include fluvial deposition and erosion, pedogenesis (accumulation of secondary carbonates), and bioturbation. Periods of increased deposition at Pioneer and elsewhere along the Big Lost River are inferred to have occurred between ∼8400–6500 cal. yr B.P. and ∼2700–400 cal. yr B.P., potentially related to cooler/wetter episodes of the mid‐to‐late Holocene, including increased precipitation during the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (post‐750 cal. yr B.P.). There is also evidence of a high‐energy erosional event at ∼3800 cal. yr B.P. indicating a large middle Holocene flood. Pioneer provides an example of the archaeological and paleoclimatic value of studying alluvial buried soil stratigraphic sequences in arid environments.     

Soil chemical surveying: A path to a deeper understanding of prehistoric sites and societies in Sweden

A large number of contract archaeological investigations have been conducted in Sweden over the last 10–15 years. In this article, the applicability of soil chemical surveying in connection with contract archaeology is discussed, focusing on soil sampling, soil magnetic susceptibility, and phosphate analysis. Results from case studies from an area of the west coast of southern Sweden are presented. The investigated sites cover periods ranging from the Bronze Age to the Late Iron Age/Medieval time (3500–1000 B.P.). Results show that the chemical loading of prehistoric settlements varies considerably both quantitatively and spatially depending on different socioeconomic strategies and behavior. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Chemical composition of snow and soil in Svirsk city (Irkutsk Region,Pribaikal’e)

The aim of the research was to study the chemical composition of snow and soil of Svirsk city (Pribaika?e) in order to assess the current environmental-geochemical situation in the city. Industrial specifics in Svirsk city is marked by higher concentrations of many toxic elements—As, Cd, Pb, W, Sb, Pb, Zn, Hg, and characteristic of preexisting and currently existing enterprises. The contents in biological matrices of some of the toxicants exceed physiological standards and violate the balance of elements necessary for people. The results of studies of the chemical (major and trace elements) composition of snow water, solid residue of snow and soil, a comparative analysis with earlier published data, and maximum permissible concentrations of elements have shown that the environmental situation in the city has been adversely affected within the last 20 years due to technogenesis.     

A reinterpretation of the great pit at Hofstaðir,Iceland using sediment thin section micromorphology

The site at Hofstaðir in northeast Iceland has been central to the debate on pre-Christian Norse temples and temple-farm complexes throughout the Scandinavian world. Critical to an understanding of the site have been the various and conflicting interpretations of the great pit feature, which have included the hypotheses that it was intentionally made for the disposal of rubbish after temple feasts, that it was a cooking pit for large-scale food preparation within a temple–farm complex, and that it was the location of a rubbish tip for ordinary farmstead waste materials. In this article we test these competing hypotheses using the technique of thin section micromorphology. These analyses represent the first application of micromorphology to questions of archaeological site formation processes in Iceland, a volcanic island with commonly occurring Andisols. Although this soil type poses new challenges to archaeological soil micromorphology, it was found that pedofeatures, microstructures, and anthropogenic inclusions provide a basis for interpreting site formation processes on Andisols as on other soil types. We conclude that the pit feature had its origins as a sunken-featured building and that the hollow created by the building's abandonment and collapse was later filled with domestic farmstead waste. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Evidence for synchronous extrusive and intrusive Bushveld magmatism

The intracratonic, 2.06 Ga volcanic rocks of the Rooiberg Group of southern Africa consist of nine magma types, varying in composition from basalt to rhyolite. Basalts and andesites, intercalated with dacites and rhyolites, are found towards the base; rhyolite is the chief magma composition in the upper succession. The absence of compositions intermediate to the magma types and variations in major and trace element concentrations suggest that fractional crystallization was not prominent in controlling magma compositions. REE patterns are comparable for all magma types and concentrations increase for successively younger magmas; LREE show enriched patterns and HREE are flat. Elevated Sr_i-ratios and high concentrations of elements characteristically enriched in the crust suggest that the Rooiberg magmas were crustally contaminated or derived from crustal material. Some Rooiberg features are related to the intrusive events of the Bushveld complex.Petrogenesis of both the Rooiberg Group and the mafic intrusives of the Bushveld complex is linked to a mantle plume, melting at progressively higher crustal levels. The basal Rooiberg magmas have undergone a complex history of partial melting, magma mixing and crustal contamination. Crustal melts extruded as siliceous volcanic flows to form the Upper Rooiberg Group, simultaneously intruding at shallow levels as granophyres. Crustally contaminated plume magma synchronously intruded beneath the Rooiberg Group to produce the mafic rocks of the Rustenburg Layered Suite. Granite intrusions terminated the Bushveld event. The Bushveld plume was short-lived, which conforms, together with other features, with younger, voluminous plume environments.     

Packrat middens from Canyon de Chelly,northeastern Arizona: Paleoecological and archaeological implications

In western North America, pollen data from highland lakes are often used to reconstruct vegetation on the adjacent lowlands. Plant macrofossils and pollen from packrat middens now provide a means to evaluate such reconstructions. On the basis of pollen diagrams from the Chuska Mountains, H. E. Wright, Jr., A. M. Bent, B. S. Hansen, and L. J. Maher, Jr., ((1973), Geological Society of America Bulletin, 84, 1155–1180) arrived at conservative estimates for late Pleistocene depression of highland conifers. In their interpretation, a proposed slight depression of 500 m for lower tree line precluded expansion of Pinus ponderosa into elevations now in desertscrub. Instead, it was suggested that pinyon pine and Artemisia occupied the lowland plateaus. Packrat midden records on either side of the Chuskas fail to verify this model. Early Holocene middens from Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, and a terminal Pleistocene midden from Canyon de Chelly, Arizona, show that blue spruce, limber pine, Douglas fir, dwarf juniper, and Rocky Mountain juniper expanded at least down to 1770 m elevation Neither Colorado pinyon nor ponderosa pine was found as macrofossils in the middens. Artemisia pollen percentages are high in the terminal Pleistocene midden, as they are in the Chuska Mountain pollen sequence, suggesting regional dominance by sagebrush steppe. Of 38 taxa identified, only 3 are shared by middens dated 11,900 and 3120 yr B.P. from Canyon de Chelly, indicating a nearly complete turnover in the flora between the late Pleistocene and late Holocene. Although corn was previously thought to have been introduced to the Colorado plateaus after 2200 yr B.P., the midden dated 3120 yr B.P. contains pollen of corn and other indicators of incipient agriculture.